Buckle



April 5, 1932. w MCDONALD 1,852,585

BUCKLE Filed Oct. 14, 1931 A J WHY/11.772 1107100600 J I z I PatentedApr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES WILLIAM L. MCDONALD, OF GENEVA, NEW YORKBUCKLE Application filed October 14, 1931. Serial No. 568,684.

This invention relates to a novel and improved buckle for belts and thelike and consists of the matters hereinafter described and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a buckle designed moreparticularly for use with belts, but of general application to straps orthe like of any kind where its peculiar features make it desirable foruse;

The improved buckle has the tongue and operating parts at the rear andconcealed from view and includes a guard or shield which alone ispresented to view and which is detachable and capable of use with adifferent set of the other parts of the mechanism which may be discardedwith the belt when the latter is worn out. The guard or shield may bemade of the more precious metals, as silver or gold, and may be chasedor engraved as desired for ornamental purposes.

The improved buckle is of simple and economical construction and it maybe readily and easily applied to belts or the like of all kinds.

The advantages of the invention will more clearly appear as I proceedwith my specification.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a belt provided withthe improved buckle, showing the belt as it appears when the belt isadjusted and buckled.

Figure 2 is a perspective view representing on a somewhat enlarged scalea rear view of the buckle as applied to one end of the belt with theother end, containing the spaced perforations for engagement by thebuckle,

partially inserted into the buckle.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the belt and buckle from the rearas they appear when the belt has been adjusted and buckled.

Figure 4 is a perspective view (looked at from the rear) of a shieldwhich forms a part of the buckle.

Figure 5 is a perspective view (looked at from the rear) of the tongueand other parts of the buckle.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the buckle attached to one end of thebelt as it appears when looked at from the rear. Referring now to thatembodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings :The

and adapted for engagement with a perfora- 1 tion in the belt; and aguard plate detachably secured to said attaching member and constitutingan ornamental shield which is the only part of the buckle visible fromthe front when the buckle is in use.

8 indicates a belt to which the improved buckle is applied; 9 indicatesthebuckle as a whole; 10 indicates the guard plate or. shield; 11, thehinged bail which carries the tongue 11"; and 16 indicates the anchor orattaching member which is secured to one end of the belt 8. The guardplate 10 is made of sheet metal and is of slightly greater depth thanthe belt to which the buckle is to be attached. It has top and bottomrearwardly extending right angular flanges 13, 13 which are connectedtogether near their ends by vertically extending bars 14, 14 spaced fromthe rear face of the guard plate, as shown in Figure 4. The constructionthus provides an open channel through the guard or shield 10 for theinsertion at one end of the other parts of the device to which the guardplate is attached and for the insertion at the other end of the free endof the belt when buckling the ends of the belt together.

The attaching member 16 includes vertically spaced folded gripping wings12 which engage the end margin of the belt to which they are riveted, asshown at 17, and an intermediate spring locking member 18. The grippingwings 12 have vertically aligned shoulders 19 at their rear ends and thespring locking member 18 presents an opposed shoulder 20 spacedlaterally from the line of the shoulders 19. The bar 14 is engagedbetween the shoulders 19 on the one side and the shoulder 20 on theother side when the bail 11 and attaching member 16 are inserted betweensaid bar and the rear face of the guard plate 10,the spring lockingmember 18 yielding to permit said bar 14 to come to position for suchengagement, as shown in Figure 6. By this construction the guard plateis detachably connected to the rest of the buckle mechanism.

The spring locking member 18 extends into the neighborhood of the buckletongue 11 which normally engages it when said buckle tongue has passedthrough one of the belt perforations. 1

As shown and preferably, the attaching member 16 is cut and formed froma single blank of metal which is split lengthwise, leaving a backingstrip adapted to extend across one marginal face of the belt and threesevered extensions, two of which are folded upon themselves to form thegripping wings l2,'and the other of which is folded back upon a linebeyond the fold line of the first two to form the spring locking member18.

To provide ample space for the yielding of the locking member 18 topermit the passage of the bar 14, either when attaching or detaching theguard plate,the marginal end of the belt between the gripping wings 12is cut away to leave a pocket 21 (see Figure 5) between said wings intowhich pocket said spring locking member may be depressed until theshoulder 20 comes into a plane back of the bar 14.

The operation of the buckle is as follows With the buckle including theguard plate attached to the belt end, as shown in Figure 6, the belt isplaced about the body and the free end 8 thereof is inserted through thespace between the bar 14 and the guard plate and then through the bail11 and between the tongue 11 and the locking member 18. It is drawnthrough to adjust the belt as tightly as may be desired upon the body,whereupon the tongue 11 is permitted to engage the nearest perforation 8in the belt. It will be noted, as shown in Figure 1, that in theadjustment and buckling of the belt the free end 8 of the belt is nextthe person and at the rear of the main part of the belt, so as to beentirely concealed. The only thing visible from the front is the guardor shield 10. To unbuckle the belt the tongue 11 is lifted from theperforation 8 with which it is engaged and the belt end slipped out ofthe buckle by the reverse movement to that above described.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that a belt and buckleof finished appearance is presented to view, with the free end of thebelt as well as the other buckle parts entirely concealed.

While in describing my invention I have referred to several details ofmechanical construction and arrangement, it is to be understood'that itis in no way limited thereto, except as pointed out in the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention 1. A buckle comprising an attaching member, abail provided with a tongue, said bail being inseparably hinged to saidattaching member, and a guard plate detachably' connected to saidattaching member and shielding said attaching member and bail from view.

2. A buckle comprising an attaching member, a bail provided with atongue, said bail being inseparably hinged to said attaching member, anda guard plate detachably con-. nected to said attaching member embracingand shielding said attaching member and hail from view.

3. A buckle comprising an attaching member consisting of verticallyspaced gripping devices for attachment to a belt and an intermediateyielding locking member, said gripping members and locking member beingformed to present opposed shoulders, a bail hinged to said grippingmembers and provided with a tongue adapted for engagement with saidlocking member, and a guard consisting of a channel adapted to embracesaid attaching member and bail, said guard having a bar at one end forengagement between said locking shoulders, and a bar at the other endspaced from said guard to provide a passageway for the free end of abelt.

4. A buckle comprising a guard consisting of a flanged plate withvertical bars connecting the ends of said flanges, an attaching memberconsisting of vertically spaced gripping devices and an intermediateyielding locking member, said gripping devices and locking member beingformed to present opposed shoulders for engagement with one of the barsof said guard, a bail hinged to said attaching member and provided witha tongue adapted to engage the end of said locking member, said bail andattaching member be ing capable of insertion in the space between one ofsaid bars and said guard plate, said locking member being adapted toyield to per mit said bar to come into locking position between saidshoulders.

5. A buckle comprising an attaching member, a yielding locking membercarried thereby, a bail hinged to said attaching member and providedwith a tongue, a guard consisting of a channel plate adapted to embracesaid attaching member and bail, and means on said guard adapted to beengaged between said yielding locking member and said attaching member.

6. A buckle comprising a guard consisting of a flanged plate, anattaching member, a bail hinged to said attaching member and providedwith a tongue, a yielding locking member on said attaching member, avertical bar on said flanged guard plate, and said locking member andattaching member be ing provided with opposed shoulders adapted forengagement with said bar on said guard.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aflix mysignature this 8th day of October, A. D. 1931.

WILLIAM L. MCDONALD.

